At the core of anthropology there is one fundamental lesson: there is no such thing as “right” or “wrong”, only culture. The relationship between humans and the cannabis plant is just another reiteration of this foundational understanding of cross-cultural variation. In our society, cannabis is exponentially attracting more political attention, however cannabis has been cultivated by people for at least 4,000 years[1]. It seems appropriate to investigate the relationship between humans and cannabis from an anthropological perspective instead of a political one. This year at the 2015 American Anthropological Association Meeting in Denver, there will even be special event titled “Cannabis Cultures”.

Historically consumed by a plethora of societies around the world, cannabis has been used medicinally, recreationally, and ritually for thousands of years. The image of the marijuana leaf symbolizes an exceptional variety of concepts and meanings to different people and cultures. The relationship between this ancient plant and humans is bizarre, ranging everywhere between a fashion statement worn on socks in some societies to the most miraculous medicine in others. Symbolic anthropology allows us to explore the cultural and social contexts of cannabis within our society. Medical marijuana is currently available in 23 states and Washington, DC. Widespread fear that legalizing cannabis would increase crime and drug use has been undermined by states such as Colorado who have actually experienced a decrease in both teenage drug use and drug-related crime. The White House has even acknowledged the “dramatic” decrease in deaths from prescription pills in the states that have chosen to legalize medical marijuana[2]. Just a few years ago, and even still in some aspects within our culture, there were completely different symbols and stereotypes associated with cannabis. The image of the cannabis leaf symbolized lethargy, unproductiveness, and evoked terms such as “burnout” or “stoner”. Cannabis symbolized the gateway to further drug use and has been excessively associated with criminal activity. Our culture has slowly begun to shift away from this mindset, making the pivotal distinction between treating cannabis as a health issue instead of a criminal one. Now the cannabis leaf can begin to symbolize freedom and our culture can now associate cannabis use with medicating instead of intoxicating.

While a feminist anthropologist could universally evaluate the correlation of cannabis and culture, there are specific examples of the relationship between the plant and women in our society. The flourishing cannabis industry is undeniable, creating over 200,000 jobs just in the past year[3] and inspiring many groups like Women Grow to form. Women Grow is a Denver organization with the mission to “connect, educate, and empower the next generation of cannabis industry leaders by creating a community for aspiring and current female business executives.” These types of organizations serve as a catalyst for females to influence and succeed in the cannabis industry especially as the end of cannabis prohibition unravels on a national scale.[4]

46 Responses to Cannabis

I thought your analysis of cannabis and people, especially women, through the feminist anthropology was really unique. I think a lot of people look specifically at the symbolic meaning of cannabis as a medicinal or social power and in a broad sense an economic power, but I have never heard a gendered argument for cannabis. The fact that is is empowering women to grow and become entrepreneurs is an even stronger argument in support of legalization.

I found this article thought provoking because I have lived in Colorado through the legalization. I have always thought it was interesting that even the recreational pot shops still use words like ‘wellness’ or ‘pure.’ Despite legalization the symbolic image of cannabis is still struggling in our culture, and that is why I think these medical terms are used. Business owners want to change the perception of cannabis and so they are relying heavily on the health benefits even with recreation. It will be interesting to see the future of the industry.

When I was living in Norway, a country which does not in any way approve of cannabis use, marijuana was still illegal in Colorado. One year ago, I spoke with my Norwegian teacher from that time, and she expressed her disgust and disdain for Colorado and how we have legalized such a horrifying thing by allowing cannabis into our economy. I believe that in Norway, cannabis is still associated with unsuccess and drug abuse, and does not symbolize the amount of achievement that it receives in Colorado. I would be interested to see what other countries that have legalized cannabis in some form have to say about its affect on the population and economy, and how it is viewed in a social setting.

I really like how you talked about how cannabis empowers women. With such a controversial topic, it was great to see a positive side that I had never been introduced to before. Your paper really got me thinking about how the cannabis industry is typically seen as a male associated thing. It brought up a thought about double standards. If a boy smokes cannabis, it is not as surprising, but women are often looked down upon for smoking. Anthropologically thinking, this is a trend with many things such as alcohol or physical violence. Typically and historically, men are not expected to be able to handle certain things, making it okay for them to give into vices such as alcohol, drug abuse, or physical violence. Women have been expected to handle mentally and emotionally challenging situations with no crutches.

Being from Texas, a place were having half an ounce of Mary J can get you thrown in jail for a bit (happened to my friend) i thought your essay provided some really solid points for the legalization of cannabis. i have heard some things about great weed is for everyone from some of my stoner friends but i don’t believe half of it. Furthermore, I thought it was really intriguing how you pointed out how cannabis empowers women. now, at the risk of sounding pedantic, i would like to challenge your initial assertion that “at the core of anthropology there is one fundamental lesson: there is no such thing as right and wrong, only culture.” to this day binary opposition remains a core principle at the heart of many anthropologist’s ideas. the ideas of right and wrong are still debated by anthropologist and philosophers alike to see if there truly is any universal code of morals. it is generally thought to be good in any culture to commit to something greater than yourself, be it science, religion, justice, or truth.

This article was really interesting to read seeing as it is something that a lot of us see and hear about every day, especially living in Colorado. I liked how you showed the range of examples that cannabis plays in our society now (medicine, symbolism, etc.). When people think about weed, usually they first think derogatory and negative things, like burnouts or possible future health issues, instead of thinking about the positives or the role it has in modern medicine. I think that is what we need to do, talk about all the other ways cannabis can be used in society, for example hemp products and medicine, other than for recreational purposes so that it might be more widely respected. I also thought it was really cool that you connected it to feminist anthropology and agreed on your points, because I had never thought about weed being an empowering source for women.

This essay is very informative and thought provoking. Using the symbolic anthropologist approach was a great choice because of the many ways that cannabis can be and is used throughout cultures. Being a student in Colorado has given me a different mindset to marijuana and your essay explained the subject quite well. I enjoyed how you touched on all aspects of the culture, from fashion to recreation. Also, using the feminist approach was unexpected, but a creative way to explore cannabis culture because I had never realized that cannabis culture could be looked at as a way to empower women.

I agree, the topic is very interesting. Cannabis is pretty prominent in our Boulder culture, so It is refreshing to hear about cannabis from a more academic perspective rather than just the more social benefits. In many cultures it is stilled looked upon negatively, but the information given in the essay provides useful and positive impacts it has throughout the world. I as well did not realize the benefits of cannabis on a specific gender, especially as a way of empowerment.

I really liked this take on cannabis and how it is a cultural idea not a government one. It was a new way to look at something that is very popular in colorado because of its legalization. The description of how cannabis has been turned from something negative into something helpful was intriguing. The use of feminist theory was also really great. I never thought cannabis would be used to help empower female business’, it was a really strange take that I was not expecting at all.

To be honest, I was a little divided on your first statement about culture and right and wrong. As others have said, it goes deeper than that and the conversation involving what counts as what is ongoing and volatile. That being said, I enjoyed reading this. I thought it was very interesting how you incorporated feminist theory into this article, and to me your explanation was very well said and well articulated. In addition, your use of symbols to describe the culture and ideas surrounding weed was definitely a high point to your paper. Great job!

This was very interesting. I thought it was very relevant how you brought up the idea that cannabis use is very much cultural driven and not governmentally. This important idea is often left out in the debate about marijuana legalization with people jumping to harsh conclusions without fully understanding the system and the numerous benefits and cultural significations cannabis can have. In showing how cannabis use in Colorado has been changed from something negative to instead being recognized as having numerous positive cultural benefits is highly valuable, especially in supporting in your claim about the historical and cultural relevancies of cannabis use overall. I also thought it was especially interesting how you incorporated feminist theory into your analysis. I never made that connection before so it was extremely interesting to have this analysis in your paper.

I found this article enjoyable to read. For example, to realize how the thought behind cannabis use has come to in our societies. Point of view and perspective comes in effect when we utilize the cannabis plant for more than all the negative or even positive feedback it gets. And I’m glad you started your essay neutralizing the good and bad by what an anthropologist studies. When you started to introduce feminine anthropology, I was skeptical to how it might relate to this topic, but you used business and the opening of jobs to build a bridge to talk about feminine anthropology. You even used local events and organizations to relate to your audience, well done! I wish you had a better conclusion or paragraph to end this cool essay.

I really liked that you wrote about this! I feel like a lot of people get very nervous about writing about something that used to be pretty frowned upon. I enjoyed how you looked at how cannabis affects our society and that students here in Colorado can relate to it. I think it was a great point to bring up how cannabis use is culturally driven. I think a lot of people look at it as something that is federally banned and something this is controlled by the government. You really wrote an amazing essay and you were able to capture the attention of young readers and make it fun but also relate it to anthropological theories.

I liked your article, because it related to the society that we live in as well as societies throughout the world. Many people have different opinions about this subject, but I agree that a lot of the ideas about it have evolved in recent times. I also thought this is an interesting topic, because it is very controversial to many even though it has been used in so many cultures for so long. I agree with both of the perspectives you used, and I also find it to have a very symbolic meaning which is shown through the means of different products people purchase. I also wasn’t aware that women’s groups have been created as a result of this movement in our society, which is interesting as well.

I found your article very interesting. Your paragraph on symbolic and interpretive anthropology in relation to the cannabis leaf was very strong, however I don’t entirely agree that the cannabis leaf will be considered a symbol for medicine, since a majority of it is used for recreational purposes. I do agree, however, that the stigma of the cannabis leaf is starting to fade. Using the green cross as a symbol would definitely link the use of cannabis and medicine more concretely. As many of the other comments have mentioned, I find it is unique to use feminist anthropology for it is not usually associated with your topic. I know you had a limited word count, but I would have loved to read more about your last paragraph.

Using the view of a symbolic anthropologist was perfect for your essay. There are so many views and opinions about cannabis, not only in our nation but across the world and that really reiterates just how strong of a hold culture has. The more legal and known it becomes, the “bad” terms such as the stigma for the leaf and the term “stoner” are starting to fade I have even myself noticed. I also never would have thought to use a feminist perspective with this topic, but you did a great job tying it together. I really enjoyed reading your essay and would have loved to learn more about your last paragraph.

Your article, however controversial it may seem to some, was incredibly thought provoking for me. With the inclusion of feminist anthropology in your paper, I was curious as to what other theories could be applied to the Cannabis debate in America, and one of the most relevant theories that could be applied would be Marxist anthropology. It would be incredibly interesting to see, given more research, if Cannabis used was more concentrated in certain classes than others, and possibly how a rich person from a privileged upbringing might differ in view to it than someone who was raised in a more modest household

I like how you took the symbol of the cannabis leaf and looked at what it represented in the past and then compared it to the representation now. It definitely shows that cultures, do indeed, change. Not only is acceptance of cannabis drastically shifting, but the connotations associated with the plant are also going in a new direction. Someone that recreationally uses cannabis time to time, or even regularly, isn’t thought of a “burnout” any longer. People from all walks of life are choosing to participate in its use, shutting down the stereotype of it being used only by criminals and/or leading to criminal behavior. I really enjoyed your essay, nicely done!

I would’ve never thought to analyze marijuana using the feminist approach. I really enjoyed reading that part of your essay because it brought a shift in the way people would think about how cannabis relates to human culture. Although some people consider it wrong, it’s true that it’s creating jobs for our women and men alike. I also liked how you didn’t just talk about the drug itself, but the picture of the leaf and how it’s used in so many different contexts like socks. Including the decrease in violence shows why it’s slowly becoming more culturally accepted, which as you mentioned is all that matters in anthropology. Very well done!

I found this article very interesting for many reasons, most of all the opening statement about changing culture and the idea of “right” and “wrong. This concept is changing extremely rapidly in American (Coloradan most notably) culture during our lifetimes. My mother went to CU Boulder in the 80’s and smoked weed as a young adult. I grew up a product of and sharing her liberal perspective on marijuana, but not until I was older and got a medical marijuana card did I fully see the generational gap between our attitudes. Although fully supportive of the legality of marijuana, my mother still thinks of it with a negative connotation, sees it as a drug and is not comfortable with me smoking for medicinal purposes. From an anthropological perspective, it would be interesting to document the evolution of the social acceptance of marijuana in societies that are increasingly accepting the plant.

Your article was very well written and I found it unique how you intertwined marijuana with feminism and symbolism. Although negative stigma placed on marijuana has decreased as more proof for medicalization and proper use has been revealed, I still believe that a huge percentage of avid marijuana smokers do it solely for recreation. I’ve known in many instances friends or peers easily faking a chronic injury or excuse for medical marijuana in order to get a license to buy legal marijuana. Do you think this easy access to marijuana is going to become a problem, especially among younger generations holding more rebellious and curious mindsets?

I found this article to be very interesting and thought-provoking! It would be very interesting to look at marijuana through the lens of the practice theory and how people claim they act vs. how they actually act. Many of the generations older than ours are opposed to recreational, and sometimes even medical, marijuana use. However, it would be cool to see what percentage of these people used marijuana at any point in their lives, especially when they were in high school and college. Their opposition probably stems from being older but a lot of adults I know are concerned about marijuana use simply because of the negative connotation marijuana had 30 years ago.

I didn’t expect you to use feminist anthropology to analyze the historical and current use of cannabis in the United States–it was a really interesting way to look at things! I think that while we are moving more toward a culture of acceptance when it comes to the use of marijuana, I think there is still a population of users that does fulfill the lethargic stereotypes of the drug. But since it is recreationally legal here in Colorado, I think people use it at a more productive rate than they would have before, since before it was legalized it was more difficult to obtain (though not at all impossible). Having it available at all times, I think, makes users think more realistically about how much they want to indulge and how often.

I have always found the legalization of marijuana to be very interesting. The way you analyzed marijuana using feminist anthropology was intriguing and well done. I would never of thought to use that approach. I’d always grown up with a liberal view on weed and I have always thought it should be legalized. This paper is really relevant to what is currently happening in Colorado and the United States.

Your essay made me think about cannabis from a new prospective, a prospective I think everyone should entertain at some point. When people hear the phrase “doing drugs”, it often leaves a bad taste in your mouth, seeing as many of us started from a young age learning to fear the term and the people that take part in these activities. Though there are sinister substances out there capable of destroying lives due to physical addiction, many would agree today that cannabis is not one of those substances. A family member of mine underwent an extremely taxing surgery and began to become physically addicted to the pain medicines prescribed. He replaced these medications with cannabis and was not only much more comfortable but was also not feeling the effects of addiction to the prescription. Our conception of cannabis in US culture is changing and I believe it is for the better.

I really liked the point that you made about how cannabis is viewed differently across cultures. A lot of people in the contemporary United States view weed as a recreation drug that is poisoning the youth; however, many cultures except the use of marijuana into their society and uses it to benefit them. I think it is also important to look at the economical aspects of marijuana and the benefits of this. In Colorado Cannabis is a huge source of income for many entrepreneurs and businesses. It is interesting to compare all of the different ways this drug is benefiting society versus all of the consequences.

Very interesting essay! I like how you incorporate the idea that there is no “right” or “wrong” in anthropology, only culture. There is currently an interesting rhetoric in the United States regarding cannabis use. A spectrum that you described, from medical and legalized cannabis to being seen as an unproductive criminal. I also find it interesting how you used feminist anthropology as a lens to look at cannabis culture in the United States. Even though the cannabis industry is growing at an extremely fast pace, it is still mostly dominated by men. I did not know about organizations for women in the industry and it is nice to see that we, as women, are taking strides to be apart of this multi-billion dollar industry.

Our society has come along way with cannabis and legality. Its crazy to think America has gone from Hearst and Reefer Madness, to today’s ever expanding revenue of cannabis(in Colorado). As a woman, I never thought to evaluate cannabis thru a feminist anthropological lens. That being said, reading this article opened my mind to the new and growing product that is cannabis. It providing new opportunities for women is even more of a reason for it to be legal in most places.

I think that it was really interesting to look at this from a feminist point of view. It would be interesting to also take a marxist perspective and look at class and inequality in terms of cannabis. I wonder what differences we could find from before legalization, as you said with cannabis being associated with the words burnout and stoner, and a less productive successful class, and now. I think that the culture around cannabis is moving away from its previous lethargic associations. I think a marxist would also be interested in the huge economy that has risen around the sales of medical marijuana and associated cannabis products. we may find that it has decreased class struggle by creating a legal economy around cannabis and provided many opportunities for people to legally associate themselves with the sale of the drug.

I love this approach to marijuana as a highly cultured substance and your analysis of this particular cultural object on our society. Tracing cannabis back throughout history shows that it’s uses and the perceptions of its use have evolved and changed. Thousands of years ago it was a medicine and perhaps a way to connect with gods of another world. In the twentieth century, the drug was stigmatized and made illegal and the media created a moral panic around drugs that contributed to the out of date drug policy era we find ourselves in now.

Reading your article, after living in Boulder for my first few months, was very grabbing and illuminating. We live in such an excepting society and I often feel that by living within the cannabis culture, I experience a greater amount of acceptance for a number of things outside of the cannabis culture because the people here are more open to different ways of living.

I think that this blog post is about a really relevant topic and I also think that you did a great job relating it to anthropological theories. I was very interested in the fact that you used feminism as a theory because personally I have never really thought of cannabis use as gendered or even knew there were organizations about it. This was a really well done blog post because it didn’t feel like a theoretical analysis which can happen when writing an anthropology assignment. From now on, I am going to pay closer attention to the gendered usage of cannabis so thank you!

I found your article both personally applicable and fascinating. I had never considered cannabis as a cultural entity, and your essay was very eye opening to an entire new way to examine marijuana culture. your essay was also very well written, you did a good job unpacking theories and also creating a compelling argument about the history and the culture of marijuana.

I thought your article was very interesting and exciting to read. I like your positive approach to cannabis and how it is productive in many ways where it is legalized. Until now, I have never thought about how the use of cannabis can influence culture and I found this perspective even more important than any other approaches I’ve heard of that examine the use of marijuana. Your choice of theories was also very thought provoking, esp feminism! That was an unexpected, but pleasent surprise.

I found your essay to be very insightful, the idea of cannabis having caused such a shift in cultural ideas about US drugs and violence in general. Specifically, I had never thought about how large of a shift there has been in the stigma of cannabis through the symbolic anthropological lens. However, now that you have mentioned this idea, it is clear to me how the shift in stigma has also affected that which what we associate with the cannabis leaf and other cannabis related symbols. I also would have never thought to look at the relationship between humans and cannabis through feminist lens! It’s an interesting way to look at it and I actually would have been interested to hear more about what you had to say in regards to how feminist anthropology can play a role in studying the human-cannabis relationship. What I liked most about your essay though was that even though it did have a slightly more positive outlook on marijuana and its legalization, you kept your stance out of it (which is hard to do with popular political issues).

I think your article is very interesting and insightful, we talk about marijuana as only as a drug. Most of us are unaware of the fact that cannabis is so much more than that. I think what the organization women grow is very interesting because it is important for us to understand what cannabis is and so many of us have misconception about it. It is time we looked at the relationship between human and cannabis in anthropological view instead of a political one. Your use of feminism theory was unexpected but it was powerful nonetheless.

This essay is super interesting. I like how you brought up the fact that there is no universal right and wrong, there are just cultural expectations and widespread beliefs. I never thought about how many meanings could be found in cannabis when looked at through different anthropological lenses throughout the world and even just in our country. It is fascinating that after 4,000 years of different widespread uses the morality and politics surrounding weed is just now in the spotlight. This is a really creative application of anthropology and a great read.

Like everyone else is saying, I was really surprised you took a feminism anthropological approach to studying cannabis culture. Also when I first think women and marijuana I thought you were going to talk about stereotypes of women who smoke pot or how women in general treat cannabis differently. I was surprised you talked about job opportunities and entrepreneurship, which is super cool.

Initially it was your title that drew me in to the paper. Having lived in Colorado for 6 years, I have seen the transition from medical marijuana being legal to recreational legality and how it has really changed the way not only my peers, but also my elders, view on marijuana. I found your use of symbolic anthropology was a very powerful way to show our society’s initial opinion on how marijuana would affect our culture was actually far from the actual outcome. Also, your use of feminist anthropology on this topic was one I never would have thought of, but I found it quite insightful and informative.

I like how you went deeper than what cannibus is usually a symbol for. Cannibus is a very big topic right now especially living in colorado with it being legal and such. It was really out of the box to take a feminism approach to the culture of cannibus and how it relates to jobs and such, Great twist, good essay.

Really interesting post, i’ve never thought to approach cannabis from a gendered perspective. Maybe women are closer to cannabis than men because of there relationship with nature? Would love to see this idea expanded. It is incredible how marijuana has turned from a stigmatized area of US culture, and has been transformed almost entirely in a matter of years. The job opportunities was a good point, and maybe is a factor in this movement away form old stereotypes.

I found this article very thought provoking, it was very interesting that even though pot is legal in colorado, recreational pot stores still use the words medical and medicine. It made me realize that so many people have different ways of seeing things as “right” or “wrong”. I enjoyed how you talked about write or wrong through a cultural perspective, and was impressed that you related pot to Feminist Anthropology.

I find the topic of cannabis to be an interesting one to analyze through an anthropological perspective. I still find it very odd that there is so much controversy over plant with medicinal benefits when much more harmful substances are legal all over the country (for example, alcohol, cigarettes and prescription pills) and there is hardly any controversy over their legality. It’s interesting that a plant that has been used in a variety of ways by humans for thousands of years is just now recently outlawed (I’m using the term recently in a relative way, for example in the past century). I think this has a lot to do with power and control, so perhaps cannabis could be analyzed through a post structuralist perspective as well. I also thought the way you looked at cannabis and how it can empower women to be a very unique perspective.

I liked this article because I thought it is very relevant for those living in Boulder. The creation of jobs because of cannabis has greatly improved Boulders’ economy and will only continue to grow. I also thought it was thought provoking how you analyzed cannabis through the feminist perspective and talked about the jobs it has created for women in areas nearby. I liked this perspective because its’ one that I wouldn’t have immediately considered.

I always find the idea of cannabis to be very interesting one. In high school I was surrounded by people who smoked weed. Now that i’m in college even more so. Even my own girlfriend smokes a lot of weed. I would consider myself pro marijuana although I do not smoke my self. I like this topic and I am actually surprised I didn’t make this my topic considering i’m around the substance a lot. I like how in the article you talked about the history of it and why it’s illegal. It makes for a very relevant topic especially in Colorado. I really liked this article. Well done.

Greetings, and thank you for your article on cannabis. Do you know of studies related to the origin and evolution of cannabis culture here in the US/Western culture? A friend, Jerry Joffe is producing a documentary about the first generations of the homegrown cannabis movement -http://www.vimeo/.com/169133329. I am a New School trained anthropologist who has participated in the Homegrown Movement since the 60s. We are interested in finding groups and individuals who are would like to help this effort. Thanks.